I have a friend who speaks of her husband as if he were God’s gift to all creation. I’ve met the man. While he is a nice person, he is as regular as the rest of us. But she insists he is the greatest thing since… ever. When asked how she has such a great Continue »

My friend and I were trying to figure our men out. We had each been married five years and each had two young children. We missed the spontaneous intimacy of our pre-children days early in our marriages. “He actually gets cranky if he hasn’t had sex in several days. It’s like he needs to have sex. And I’m so tired, sex Continue »

My 11-year-old son chastised me the other day. A car was driving very erratically in front of us on the road, and I blurted out, “What the ____ are they doing?” “Mom,” he said gravely from the backseat, “We don’t say ‘heck.’” Oh. Right. That is one of those so-so words that can lead to Continue »

Rachel, my daughter with autism, adheres to routine. Her favorite activity is riding the school bus, which is not available on Saturdays. She didn’t get the memo. At 3 a.m., Rachel came into our room illuminating the way with her iPad. In her mind, it was time to get up for school (by the way, Continue »

Why do marriage partners—even men—sometimes lose interest in sex? Personally, I think the main culprit is sheer exhaustion. Tiredness and lack of exercise kill the sex drive. We become so stressed out and bone-tired that all we want is time alone and time for blessed sleep. Incessant busyness is the plague of our contemporary lifestyle, and it is greatly damaging Continue »

Yesterday I starred in my very own production of Martyr Mom. I’m the only one who does any work around here, I thought. The closing act of my mom drama was set in the bathroom. Rachel, our daughter with autism, had been diligently “cleaning.” Water dripped from both mirrors. From the nine-foot ceilings. From the wallpaper. Continue »

As little girls, we grow up reading fairy tales about beautiful princesses being rescued by their knights in shining armor. Deep down in our hearts, every little girl yearns to be loved like that. We want a man to give everything up for us, even if it means his life, to keep us safe and Continue »

“My step daughter and I have had a great relationship for over 12 years,” the woman shared. “She is planning her wedding, and I assumed I would be included. But all of a sudden she treats me like I don’t exist. I don’t understand. What happened?” Although this step mother was surprised by her step Continue »

by Valerie Gaff When I was 9, I knew exactly what my wedding should be like. I wanted a beautiful white dress, with a train as long as Princess Diana’s. There would be flowers everywhere, and I would be surrounded by my family and friends. Since I already knew all the details, I just needed Continue »

I admit it — there are days when I just do not feel like being all “you are wonderful” to my husband. It could be because he is not being all “you are wonderful” enough to me, or I am not feeling as loved as I want to be. Maybe he’s wrapped up in something at Continue »